Dating Time
by ilikebutts
Summary: Dating Time: we're more than just friends, with sappy feelings and holding hands. With Marceline and Finn the Human, lets hope this never ends, its Dating Time!
1. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?

CH 1: WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?

"Hey Marceline?"

"Sup Finn?"

"Why am I 'too young'?"

"Huh? Oh. Been talking to Bonnibel lately?" Marceline asked.

It was a quiet evening. Just the two of them jamming at Marceline's house.

"Kind of," Finn replied.

"Still crushing on her?" she asked.

"No!" Finn replied emphatically. "...maybe."

"Wanna jam about it?" Marceline began idly plucking out a bass line.

Finn sighed, "I sort of did already."

"The Doorlord thing?"

"Yeah. And after that, we never really talked about it."

"'What are you to her?' Well, Bonnie was always kind of a stick-in-the-mud. Yeah, your age is probably a hangup."

"But why?" Finn returned to his original question.

"Its this kind of idea from a long long time ago. How should I explain it?" she pondered, "Okay, let me give it a shot: You're still growing. Not just getting taller and buffer and all that stuff, but also in your brain. Do you remember yourself two years ago?"

"I guess?"

"Don't you think the you two years ago was really kind of dumb? He said and did things that you find embarrasing now?"

"Yeah?" Finn couldn't help but remember some of those things.

"Two years from now you're going to think the same thing about the you right now. And two years from that, that you will think the same thing about him. That's just life. And unlife."

"Huh."

"We DO get less dumb as we grow up, but it takes time. You can try to rush it, but you just end up jack up your brain worse. So when people say 'you're too young' they mean 'I don't want to be the one to jack up your brain'."

"Man, my brain is already all kinds of jacked up. No one says I'm too young when I do hero stuff."

"Yeah, that's true," as Marceline reflected, she continued to play, mostly to keep her hands occupied, "Its kinda unfair. But thems the breaks."

Finn frowned. "Come on, give me some credit."

She chuckled. "Okay. How about this? Lets pretend we're boyfriend and girlfriend for a second."

"Uh, alright," Finn blushed at the sudden turn in conversation.

"So, we'd go on dates, right?"

"Yeah."

"And hold hands," Marceline took his hand into hers and laced her fingers between his. Finn flinched a bit at her cool flesh and the sudden intimacy.

"Uh-huh?"

"And do kissy stuff," she drew him in by his hand, and kissed him on the cheek.

Finn attempted to conceal his rising discomfort.

"And get all touchy-feely," she released his hand only to pull him bodily into her. Finn stiffened.

"And maybe," she leaned in to his ear, so he could feel her breath "if we're feeling really romancey, we could..."

She whispered a few choice sentances, each turning him a deeper shade of scarlet.

"Oh, and that's just the tip of the iceberg," she seperated from him entirely, the intimacy evaporated.

Finn's expression was one of pure horror.

"People actually do that! That's sick!"

Marceline cackled in amusement. "Well, some do. I'm not into that, personally, but hey, I'm willing to try anything once."

Finn regarded her with a disgusted look.

"There's no rush to grow up," she patted his head, "You're not ready for that stuff yet, and that's cool. So... you get me?"

"Well..." Finn forced some of the more salacious thoughts out of his head. "...I might be ready for some of it."

"Ahahaha!" Marceline playfully slapped him on the back. "Not bad Finn. Not bad."

"Hehe. I try." 


	2. YOU'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME

CH 2: YOU'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME OVER THERE

"Hey Jake."

"Sup bro?"

"I'm headed over to Marcy's house. We're gonna jam." Finn stuffed various recording equipment and sandwiches into his pack.

"Again?" Jake asked incredulously.

"Yeah man, we're laying down some tracks for a concept album."

"You want maybe we get Beemo and Bubblegum and do a big ol' jam session again?"

"Nah man. Its cool. Its kinda private stuff, so Marceline wants to keep it small."

Jake raised an eyebrow, "Well, if you say so bro. But you've been spending a lot of time over there lately."

"Chyeah. Its an album." Finn liked that word. "Bum." It bought a smile to his face. "Why? You gonna be okay without me?"

"Its all good man. While you're on your date with Marceline, I'll be entertaining Lady Raincorn. Maybe romance it up some," he said smoothly while giving Finn the double pistols.

"Its not a date," Finn said defensively.

"You gonna be home for dinner?" Jake asked.

"Nah, we might be at it for a while."

"Man, then that's definately a date!" Jake laughed bawdily.

"Wait, what?" it took a moment for Finn to realize what he had said, "IMEANRECORDINGHERALBUMJAKE!"

"Yeah, whatever man. If you see a tie on the door when you get back, you're gonna have to sleep in the treasure room."

"Huh?"

Jake simply winked.

"Gross!" 


	3. MAYBE THIS WAS STUPID

CH 3: MAYBE THIS WAS STUPID

"Hey Finn?"

"Yeah Marceline?"

"You want something to eat?" she asked.

They had been recording for hours, and fatigue had set in.

"Way ahead of you," Finn reached into his pack, producing his sandwiches.

"Okay. Cool. I'm just gonna grab something from the fridge."

"Yuhuh."

"By the way, thanks Finn."

"For what?"

"You know. Helping me out and junk."

"Oh, right. No man, I'm having crazy fun over here."

"I'm glad," she rummaged through the fridge, "Cause this is some heavy stuff."

Finn remembered Jake's comments.

"Hey Marceline?"

"Yeah Finn?"

"Uh... Why did you ask me to help you out anyway? You know, on the count that its so personal."

"Hmm..." she contemplated as she floated down besides Finn, now armed with a small plate of cherries. "In the spirit of confession?" her voice shrank, "...it's cause your my best friend."

Finn had not expected that.

"Really? I mean, what about Jake and Beemo, and PB?"

Marceline scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Jake and Beemo are alright. But me and Bonnie?" she sighed, "We've been patching things up. Its better, but stuff is still weird between us. Still: its you."

"Huh. I always thought, you know, with the thousand-year-old-vampire thing that you'd have loads of friends."

"Yeah, well... not really. I mean, I do have friends, and they're cool to hang out with and all, but between you and me? They can all kind of be jerks sometimes."

"They're okay."

"Maybe. But they're not the kind of people you want to be sharing your feelings with."

"Hm," Finn contemplated while eating his sandwich.

"Its one of those unwritten laws of the universe. The people who are fun to hang out with are kind of jerks, and the nice people aren't the kind you'd have fun hanging out with. You though? You're the raddest person I know. And the sweetest."

Finn blushed. "Thanks."

They ate in silence for a while.

"Hey Finn?"

"Yeah Marceline?"

"Do you... wanna be my boyfriend?"

"Wha?" he looked at her in shock

Marceline punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! But I thought you didn't want to date me," Finn returned to his senses, "It was like, a whole thing!"

"I didn't!" Marceline said defensively, "...but now I do," she deflated, "...so?"

"That's heavy," Finn said.

More silence.

"Maybe this was just a really stupid idea," she trailed off, "I'm being stupid."

"No, you're not stupid. It's- I'm just confused," Finn admitted. "Like... why?"

Marceline muttered something unintelligable.

"Huh?"

"I'm lonely, okay?" she snapped.

Finn backed off a good foot or so.

She sighed, exhasperated with herself. "Sorry."

"Its cool," Finn scooted back to his previous spot.

"I know you like Bonnibel. And one of these days, you're going to grow up, and she's going to notice."

"You think so?" Finn asked, embarrased.

"Yeah. It'll happen," she pat his head and drew him a bit closer to herself. "So maybe I'm just trying to beat her to the punch."

"I never really thought about you that way," Finn admited, allowing him to be drawn to Marceline. "I mean, I definately like you. But like-like?" he tried to contemplate it some more, "Man... feelings junk jacks with my brain."

Marceline chuckled, "Yeah, right on," she sighed, "Look: just forget about it, okay? I've just been working through a lot of feelings junk lately, and I sort of dumped some stuff on you I shouldn't have."

"I guess," Finn answered, out of his depth.

"Hey, lets take a break from my stuff. How about we record one of your songs? I think the change of pace will do us some good."

"Yeah. Okay." 


	4. LADY TIME IS COMPLICATED

CH 4: LADYTIME IS COMPLICATED

"Hey Jake," Finn arrived home, conflicted.

"Sup Bro?" Jake greeted him, "You alright bro?"

"I need some advice, man. Lady advice."

"Marceline?" Jake ventured nervously.

"Yeah. Marceline," he confirmed.

"Man, I was just messing with you before. For real?"

Finn nodded, dumped his backpack on the floor and collapsed on the couch.

"So, what happened?" Jake sat besides him.

"Marceline was talking about how her friends were jerks and junk and then asked me if I wanted to be her boyfriend."

"Whoah."

"I know! I never thought about her that way."

"So. Did you say yes?"

"I said 'I dunno'."

"Ooo. Bad move, brother," Jake winced.

"Huh?"

"Man, if a lady asks you if you want to become an item, its a yes or no question. And any answer other than 'yes' is 'no'," Jake explained.

Finn simply gave him a confused look.

"Look, you either like somebody, I mean, like-like, or you don't. There's nothing to think about. The fact that you have to think about it means you don't."

"Huh," Finn let the thought wash over him. "That actually makes a lot of sense."

"Well of course Finn, I know all about ladies."

"I dunno Jake, sometimes your advice is kind of wack."

"Yeah," Jake laughed, "I'm not even listening to what I say half the time. But I don't joke around about the ladies."

"So... what do I do? I don't want stuff to be all weird," Finn asked.

Jake's expression turned serious. "Look: you really like Princess Bubblegum. But she doesn't want to date you. Marceline apparently likes you, and wants to date you. If you date her, do it because you like-like her, not because you can't get with Princess Bubblegum."

Finn looked at him.

"Seriously dude. It'd be super-wrong."

"Glob, lady time is complicated," Finn held his head in his hands.

"Lady Time IS complicated," Jake reassured him. 


	5. OKAY, LETS DO THIS

CH 5: OKAY, LETS DO THIS

"Hey Marceline?" Finn knocked on Marceline's door the next day, fidgeting all the while. There was no answer.

He knocked again. Maybe she wasn't home, but maybe she just didn't hear him.

"Alright, alright, I'm getting it," came a groggy voice.

Marceline opened the door with one hand, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with the other. Her hair was mildly disheveled, and she was decidedly dressed in what passes for pajamas. Fuzzy slippers too.

"Finn? What's up? Its like," she turned her head, "It's like not even dusk yet," she noted the few beams of light illuminating her cave. Enough to hurt her if she stood under them, not enough to bother her while occupying her doorway.

"Yeah, I know, sorry," he appologized quickly, "I just- we need to talk."

"Yeah, sure, about what?" she asked automatically as she yawned.

"About being your boyfriend," he answered, somewhat put at ease by her casual response.

"Huh?" his words sobered her quickly.

"You know..." he said nervously, no longer quite as confident, "couples stuff."

"Oh man," she drifted over to the couch and settled down, averting her gaze. "Look, Finn, I told you to forget about that. It was weird, it was wrong, and I'm sorry."

"No, its okay," Finn hopped on the seat next to her, "I wanna do it."

"Woah." Marceline was taken aback.

"IMEANIWANNABEYOURBOYFRIEND" he quickly clarified.

Marceline let out a sigh of relief.

"Man, you had me going for a second there," Mareceline smiled nervously. "So... for real?" she asked.

Finn took her hand between his and looked at her seriously, "Yes, totally for reals."

"PFT." she tried to surpress a laugh, but was ultimately unsuccessful. "Ahaha!" Finn deflated.

She pat him on the head, "I'm sorry, its just that you're adorable when you're all serious like that."

He pouted.

"...so what changed?" Marceline asked, "I mean, you were weirded out yesterday, and suddenly today you're cool with it?"

"Sort of," Finn replied.

"And how about that torch you're holding for Bonnie?"

"I thought about it. Like, a lot. I'm not really good at it, so I kind of strained my brain," he explained. "But, uh, it was a bunch of stuff. You're a radical dame. That's always been true."

"Heh. Okay, I'll give you that."

"And, you know? I get lonely too," Finn added.

Marceline sank deeper into her not-so-comfortable couch.

"Man. You weren't kidding when you said this thing sucks," she punched the cushion, hoping to soften it. "But you? Lonely? Last I checked you're sort of a big deal hero. Everybody love you."

"Yeah, but, I dunno. Its like... I can be their hero, and even their friend, but I can't always be me, right?"

"Okay, I buy that," Marceline reflected, "but two people being lonely isn't exactly a great reason to date. It can be nice for a little while, but... yeah."

"Well, there's one more thing."

"What's that?"

"When you tease me, you know, hugging me, kissing me, that sort of thing?"

"Yeah?"

Finn put his hand over his heart, "I get the same feeling I do with Peebles. I never thought about it too hard because I figured it was just you messing with me like always, but, I dunno. We're totally chilling one moment, and the next, I'm all wound up inside."

Marceline sighed again and drew Finn in close beside her.

"Look, Finn... its not that part of me isn't really tempted. But I'm probably gonna jack up your brain if we do this."

"Maybe," Finn replied.

"And sometimes I can be kind of a jerk."

"I know."

"And you still want to do this?" Marceline asked, uncertain.

He merely nodded.

She sighed, and took a long hard look at him. He looked back at her, full of youthful earnestness.

"Okay," she said finally.

"Okay," he echoed.

A pause.

"Now what?" Finn asked, uncertain.

"That's it," she smiled, "We're boyfriend and girlfriend."

He took a moment to take it in. He felt giddy.

"Cool."

She laughed at the understatement. "Yeah, it is cool," She yawned, "Now get out of my house."

"Huh!"

"I was sleeping Finn, glob. I'm freaking tired. So get out of here, unless you want to come to bed with me."

Finn froze.

She snickered. "Maybe some other day," she gave him a kiss on the cheek, then upon further consideration, a quick peck on the lips. "Alright, get out of here," she smiled. 


	6. YOU'RE WHAT?

CH 6: YOU'RE WHAT!

"Hey Peebs."

"Hello Finn," Princess Bubblegum greeted him.

"You needed help with something?"

"Yes, I am currently in the midsts of very exciting research, but I've reached an impasse for the moment, so I have called upon you to lend your aid."

"Uh, sure. What do you want me to do?" Finn asked, not entirely confident.

"Ideally nothing. I am currently working on a new type of candy golem using licorice lattice networking, however it is highly experimental. I simply want you close at hand in case there are any... accidents."

"Spooky," Finn noted, "So what? You're worried it might go berserko and I'll need to punch it out?"

"In short, yes."

"Awesome, that's the type of science I can get into," he rhytmically punched the air.

Princess Bubblegum giggled at his enthusiasm.

"I haven't seen you around the Candy Kingdom as much lately," Bubblegum made small talk as she worked.

"Yeah, been busy," Finn sat down on the floor and produced a sandwich, "Been working on an album with Marceline."

"Oh? How is it going?"

"Its going good. Long though. Who knew so much stuff could happen in 500 years?"

"And how is Marceline?"

"She's good. Aren't you guys hanging out more?"

"Yes, a little," Bubblegum answered. "Actually, we had tea just yesterday."

"That's cool."

"Finn."

"Yeah Peebs?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Huh?"

She put down her work and looked at Finn seriously.

"Oh." He suddenly got her meaning.

"Uh, so I'm not here to fight a licorice golem, am I?"

"No Finn. You're not."

"So you know?"

"I'd like to hear it from you."

"So uh, me and Marcy are sorta dating."

The princess sighed.

"Are you angry at me?" Finn asked, even if he wasn't sure why she would be.

"No Finn," deep breath, "I'm not angry at you. I'm concerned."

"Why? I mean, we've only just started, but its pretty math."

"I'm concerned that a relationship between you and Marceline is...," she measured her words carefully, "unhealthy."

"Because I'm too young," Finn pouted.

"Yes. That's part of it," Bubblegum replied.

"Me and Marcy talked about that. My brain is already plenty jacked up from hero stuff, so who cares if I jack it up more?" he shrugged.

"I care, Finn," Bubblegum frowned, "I really do. You help us all so much as a hero, so please, believe me when I say I have your best interests at heart."

"I don't think I want to talk about it anymore," Finn replied.

"Oh Finn..." Bubblegum lamented, "The thing about Marceline is that she gets restless. And when she gets restless, she doesn't think about other people. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Yeah, well... I get hurt all the time," Finn gave her his best smile, "'Hero', right?"

Princess Bubblegum had no real response to that.

"So... uh, this got kinda awkward. If you don't need me to beat up golems, I think I'll just head home."

"Yes," Bubblegum sighed, "perhaps that would be best. Take care of yourself Finn."

"Yeah, no prob," he smiled again, more genuinely this time. 


	7. GROUND RULES

CH 7: GROUND RULES

"Hey Marceline."

"Hey Finn. Come on in," she held the door open for him. "How'd it go at your thing?"

"Mad uncomfortable," Finn admitted, plopping down on the floor. It was preferable to the couch.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Peebles didn't need help, she just wanted to talk."

"Oh. So... what'd she say?"

"She thinks this is a bad idea," Finn replied.

"Heh. I'm not surprised. She gave me an earful about it."

"I figured she heard about it from you."

"That was okay, right? I mean, I probably should have asked you if it was okay to talk about it."

"No, its okay," Finn answered, "Its just... I dunno, Bubblegum is really smart, and she was also really serious about it."

"Well, we know what she thinks. But how about you? What do you think about it?" Marceline asked.

"Me?" he considered, "I think... I dunno if this was a good idea or not, but..."

"But?"

"But I think I'm okay with that. Like... if its a bad idea, at least its OUR bad idea, right?" he looked up at her.

"That's pretty deep Finn," Marceline laid down on the floor besides him, looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah. I think you're right."

"Yeah."

Marceline pat the floor next to her, inviting Finn, who flopped down next to her.

"I think we should set boundries," Marceline said after a while.

"What do you mean?" Finn looked at her.

She took his hand.

"Like, rules."

"If you think so."

"Yeah. Like: 'No means no'. If you ever feel uncomfortable, just say 'no' and its okay. I won't be upset or anything."

"Alright."

"And if you have questions, you can feel free to ask. I won't promise not to laugh, but if I do its mostly because you're cute."

"Okay," he blushed.

"And, uh, I guess that's all I got for now," Marceline finished.

"Hey Marceline?"

"Yeah Finn?"

"Can I call you Marcy?"

"Hehe. You kind of already do, Finn," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I never actually asked."

"Marceline, Marcy, MarMar, I don't mind. Well, except for that last one. Don't call me 'MarMar' in public. That'd be super embarrasing."

"Isn't MarMar what Ash called you?" Finn asked, then immediately regreted the question.

"It's okay. Me and Ash are way way way way way over. I mean, I don't even care enough to be angry at him anymore."

Finn was relieved.

"And yeah, he called me MarMar. But he didn't invent it or anything. I was MarMar when I was a little kid. Brings back some fond memories."

"Hey... MarMar?" Finn tried it out.

She snickered. "Yeah Finn?"

"Can we do kissy stuff?"

"Mm? Yeah. We can do kissy stuff," she smiled. She let go of his hand and rolled over so she was ontop of Finn. She pushed her hair out of their way.

"Huh?" Finn was suddenly confused by a little detail. "Are you floating?" he prodded her side with a finger and gently pushed.

"That tickles," she squirmed. But she did indeed move. "You prefer I don't?"

"Nah, its just cool is all," he continued to experiment with moving her around.

"Hey dummy," Marceline called for his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Mwah!" She gave him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek, "All done!" she announced, pushing herself away from Finn and back into the air.

"Aw, come on, that's not what I meant," Finn looked disappointed.

"Well, what did you mean?" she teased.

"I meant, you know. On the mouth," he blushed, "And maybe more than once."

She drifted back down on top of him and gently pressed her lips to his.

"Like that?" she asked.

"Mm. ...yeah. Your lips are cold," Finn was able to note.

"Room temperature," she corrected, and kissed him again, lingering longer.

"Wow," Finn sighed contentedly.

"You're so cute." Marceline slid her hands under his hat, pulling it off in one deft movement, "Also, I'm super jealous of your hair," she ran her hands through it. "How do you get it all silky smooth like that?"

Finn shrugged, "Beemo makes me use conditioner."

"That's it?" she stroked his hair rhytmically, "Man, that's totally not fair."

"I like your hair. Its pretty."

"Eh, its alright. I mean, I'm proud of it and all, but its kind of a pain. I get tempted to just cheat and use shapeshifting."

"Um. Can I try now?"

"Heh. Sure," Marceline rolled off Finn and onto her back, welcoming him to switch positions.

"Hup!" Finn hopped up and over, straddling Marceline for lack of floaty vampire powers.

"Diggin' the enthusiasm."

"Sh-shut up," Finn lost his confidence.

"Oh man, you're way too easy to tease. Come on, show me what you got." 


	8. DO WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY

CH 8: DO WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY

"Hey Jake! I'm home!"

"Hey Finn. ...Finn? Are you drunk? Like, is that even a thing you can do?"

"Heck yeah. Drunk on smooches," Finn puckered his lips in illustration.

"So I guess its going well with Marceline, eh?"

"Yu-huh. Its going great. Marceline is a radical dame, but did you know that she's also really pretty?"

"Bwahaha! Man, are you listening to yourself? You ARE drunk on smooches."

"Hehe," he flopped onto the couch, "its really really great." He took a deep breath. "Everything's SUPER WONDERFUL!" he shouted.

"Haha. Uncomfortable."

Finn settled into the couch in reflection, basking in his own joy.

"Man, this is for reals, huh?"

"Aw, you're not going to tell me this was a bad idea too, are you?"

"Huh? Nah. I'm just happy to see you happy. I think its great. You're becoming a man."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"So you guys done it yet?" Jake asked.

"N-NO!"

"Jeez, calm down. It was just a question."

"We're just doing kissy stuff for now."

"Taking it slow eh? That's cool. Leave her wanting for more. Pretty sneaky Finn."

"Wha? No! I'm not doing it to be sneaky!"

"Bwahaha! Man, I'm just messing with you. Do whatever makes you happy, bro." 


	9. I CAN RELATE

CH 9: I CAN RELATE

"Hey Marceline?"

"Yeah Finn?"

"I got a question."

"Is it a sexy question?" she put her bass down and stretched. Recording is tiring.

"No!" Finn insisted

"Aw, I'm disappointed," she mocked sadness, "Okay, I'm over it. Whatcha got?"

"Your song, is that true? The part about not having any friends?"

"Well yeah. 500 years ago."

"Oh. Right," he chuckled nervously.

"I was young. Well, younger. And all angsty. I mean, it sounds melodramatic now, sure, but those feelings were real."

"Do you still feel like that? Like no one can relate to you cause you're all immortal and junk?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, sometimes. I mean, I told you before: I get lonely."

"Even with me?" Finn ventured.

"...Yeah," she admitted, "even with you."

"Oh," Finn wasn't sure how to take that.

"Hey, come on," Marceline cuddled up next to him, "Its not something you, or anyone, can fix. It's just part of who I am. Besides: its not like I'm lonely all the time. And even when I am, I feel less lonely when I'm with you."

Finn smiled weakly, "Thanks."

She kissed him on the cheek.

"Nah, it feels good to get that stuff off my chest every once in a while."

"Its cool. So. What's it like being immortal?" he asked.

"Oh man. That's a tough one. What's it like being the only human?" she offered in return.

"...you first."

"Fair enough. Lets see... Do you remember when you were younger how an hour felt like a really really long time. Like your mom or dad would say 'wait an hour' and it would feel like forever?"

"Yeah."

"And now like, an hour can pass by without you noticing it if you're not paying attention?"

"Uhhuh."

"Its like that. If I don't pay attention, years go by and I don't even notice. I don't change much. If I'm gone for ten years, someone who was my friend might have grown up and changed, and we can't really relate anymore. Or we've just drifted apart because its been so long. And, you know, mortals grow old and die eventually. And that sucks."

"You got immortal friends though, like Wendy, Booboo and Georgy, right?"

"Yeah, but they're huge jerks. Okay, maybe that's not fair to them. Thing is, Immortals don't really get along great with other Immortals. I mean, you'd think we'd have lots in common because of shared experience right? Yeah, doesn't work that way. Hang out with someone for a hundred years and you get sick of them. So, catching up with some immortal buds from time to time is okay, but its not really a deep relationship. But yeah, those three are jerks. No one likes being vulnerable, and definately no one likes it getting thrown in their face."

"That's heavy stuff," Finn noted.

"Yeah, it is. And I could tell you a million other things about being immortal, but honestly? I just think they'd make my point more confusing."

"So what about us?" Finn asked, "Like, what does that mean for you and me?"

"I really don't want to think about it, Finn," Marceline sulked, "I just want to enjoy what we got while we got it, know what I mean?"

"Its cool. I can respect that."

"How about you Finn? What's it like being the last human? Cause I can tell you, I haven't seen one in a long, long time."

"Hmm," Finn slumped into Marceline. "Well, I guess, first off, there might be another human."

"Oh? That's news to me," she embraced him.

"Yeah. Her name is Susan Strong. She lives underground with a hyooman tribe. I dunno if she's actually human, I just know that she's not hyooman."

Finn replayed his own words in his head, "Did that make any sense?"

"I just call them fishpeople," Marceline shrugged.

"Okay. She lives with fishpeople, but she's not a fishperson. But I dunno if she's a human."

"You ever just ask her?"

"...No," Finn admitted.

"Do you even wanna know?" she asked.

"Yeah, but... I dunno. I do, but I kind of don't," he rubbed his temples. "Man, I'm no good at soulsearchy stuff."

"You'll be ready when you're ready," Marceline reassured him. "There's no rush. I mean, unless she's super duper old or something."

"Nah, she's... older than me? She's like, really big and strong, so I have no clue. Not old though."

"Should I be jealous?" Marceline grinned.

"Nah, she's a girl and she's a friend, but she's not my girlfriend or anything like that." He gave her a peck on the cheek for emphasis.

"Hah! Well said," she smiled, "So, setting aside a maybe one other human, how do you feel about it?"

"I dunno. When I think about it too hard I get feelings and stuff," he gestured to his body abstractly, "Lonely. But I feel weird about it too."

"Weird how?"

"Like, even when you subtract the hero thing out, I got lots of friends and they're all super math, but I dunno. I want some human friends. It makes me feel bad that my actual friends don't feel like enough."

Marceline nodded. "I get you. You want to know where you came from. I mean, obviously you're Finn, hero of Ooo and my rad boyfriend," she returned the kiss from earlier, "But, like, there's more out there, and when you find out, maybe you'll know yourself a little better."

"Yeah," he responded enthusiastically, "That's exactly it."

"Hehe, well, its not like I spent a thousand years learning nothing."

"Hey Marceline?"

"Sup?"

"Where you ever human?" Finn asked, "I mean, I saw you as a little girl in your memory that one time. You weren't a vampire, but you didn't look human either."

She pat his head, "Well, whether I was or not really doesn't matter since, you know, vampire, but if you want to know: no. I was never fully human. Half-human, but that's a lot of folks in Ooo."

"Oh."

"Disappointed?" she asked.

"A little," he admitted.

"Its okay. That's just how it is."

They both sighed and slumped deeper.

"Feelings, man, right?" Marceline summed it up for them.

"Right on."

"Hurray for alienation," she mocked enthusiasm.

"Hehe. I have no idea what that means."

Marceline snickered. "It means we both know what its like to be lonely even when we're surrounded by people."

"Oh, yeah. We do."

"Hey Finn, ever consider maybe writing an album about it? Like, you got some deep stuff going on, and it'd probably help to get some of it out."

"Nah, I couldn't do that," Finn shook his head, "I mean, talking to you about it is fine, but that's because like, its back and forth. Me just singing about my feelings alone? That's a bit too scary for me."

"Hm. The Hero Finn scared?"

"Man, fear is a heroic flaw, don't you know that?"

"That's news to me. Where'd you hear it?"

"Three wisemen that came out of my butt."

"PFT," Marceline held back a laugh.

"Yeah. Kind of like that."

"SNRK!" Marceline snorted violently.

They had a good long laugh, followed by another, much more lighthearted sigh.

"You're the best, Finn."

"You're the best, Marcy."

"Sloppy makeout time?" Finn asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe." 


	10. CRAZY WITH SMARTNESS

CH 10: CRAZY WITH SMARTNESS

"Hey Princess?"

"Guten Tag. This is Princess Bubblegum speaking, may I ask who's calling?"

"Oh, awesome," Finn noted, "It's me, Finn."

"Oh, hello Finn! How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing good, look, I kind of have a favor to ask."

"Certainly. If it is within my power."

"I need to borrow the Glasses of Nerdicon. You still have them, right?"

"...Oh no Finn. Not after last time," Bubblegum's tone immediately shifted.

"Come on, please? I need super-smartness to come up with a plan, after that, I'll give them right back and just do whatever plan smart-me comes up with."

"I don't like the sound of this Finn. Those glasses are dangerous. What could you possibly need them for?"

"Uh. I want to get something for Marceline, but I'm not sure how. I'm just hoping smart-me would. That guy knows everything."

A palpable silence.

"You're still in a relationship with her?"

"Yeah."

He heard an audible sigh over his talky-phone.

"How is it going with her?" she asked.

"Really great, actually," he replied.

"...I still don't approve of your relationship," she replied, "But, I am glad that it is going well, at least. I mean that sincerely Finn."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me, PB."

"If its for Marceline, I'll allow it. But you will be under my supervision while you wear the Glasses of Nerdicon, and you will not be allowed to leave with them. Is that understood?"

"Aw, really? Thanks PB! Is it cool if I come over now?"

"Yes, that's fine Finn," she let out a giggle.

"What's funny?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. Your enthusiasm for your girlfriend is charming," she explained.

"Oh yeah, I am all about enthusiasm!" 


	11. NEVER GONNA TOP THIS ONE

CH 11: NEVER GONNA TOP THIS ONE

"Hey Marceline, I'm here."

"Hey Finn. Where you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you all day."

"Heh, sorry about that, I was running around all over the place."

"Yeah, I called your house and Jake said you were in the Candy Kingdom. I called Bonnie about it and she was just acting all coy."

"Sorry," he repeated his apology, "PB was helping me with something," he reached into his backpack. "A gift!"

Finn produced a box, wrapped in red wrapping paper and tied with a red ribbon, topped with a bow.

"Aw, how sweet," Marceline admired the package, "A gift I can eat."

"Yeah, that was part of the plan," he produced his notes, double checked, and then shoved them back in his pack.

"What's the occasion?" Marceline asked.

"Hmm. No occasion. I just remembered something I thought you'd like, so I got it for you."

"Daw. You're so sweet its almost nauseating," she kissed him.

"Thanks! I guess?"

"Only almost," she clarified. "So, can I open it?"

"Almost, hold on a sec," he lead her over to the couch, and had her sit, then sat on the floor opposite her, looking up at her. "I wanna see you open it."

"Hehe, alright. But first I'm gonna eat it." She drew the package to her mouth, and with a touch of her fangs, sucked the red out of the wrapping paper.

"That's good red. Now for the bow," she drained that dry as well, leaving a pristine white package.

"Hehe. I got the wrapping stuff from Choose Goose."

"He's got good taste. Okay, lets open this bad boy up." she tugged at the ribbon, unraveling the bow, and leaving the white package. She carefully removed the wrapping paper to avoid damaging it and to savor the anticipation. Underneath was a plain brown box.

"You watching this Finn?"

"Yuhuh!" he was completely fixated on her face.

"Here we go," she popped open the top to look inside. And her blood ran cold. Colder anyway.

In the box Hambo stared back at her, just as she remembered him. Every stitch, every tear.

"H-Hambo?" she was completely bewildered. "Bu-? Whu-? How?" She looked at Finn who was simply looking at her with an expression of complete happiness. She attempted to speak again, but only managed to vaguely mouth some words.

"Hehe, you're speechless," Finn observed, triumphant.

She reached into the box and gently touched her old stuffed toy, just to confirm that it was indeed real. She held hambo tightly to her chest.

"I-I don't know what to say... Oh gob, am I crying?" she touched her face, feeling flushed cheeks and moist eyes. Feeling the tears only opened the floodgates further.

"Uh, are you okay?" Finn asked.

Unable to speak, she nodded, her free arm opening wide for an embrace. When he reciprocated, she held him as fiercly as her stuffed toy.

"There there," Finn rubbed her back.

"HICK," she stifled a sob.

"Shhh, its okay," Finn comforted her.

"when'd you get so maternal?" she got out between sniffles.

"Good ol mom," he answered.

They continued to embrace until Marceline once again broke the silence.

"thankyoufinn," she whispered.

"It's coo-" Marceline cut him off with a passionate kiss.

"Whoah," Finn summarized when they parted.

Marceline sniffed and wiped her eyes, recovering.

"Oh man, I must look like a mess," she noted.

"Nah. You look pretty when you cry," he knit his brow in realization, "Wait, thats a terrible thing to say."

She chuckled, "no, its okay." she sniffed and looked at Hambo again. "I still can't believe it."

"He's real," Finn confirmed.

"How...?" she finally asked, "I mean, I thought Hambo was used to make potions or something."

"Yeah, probably," Finn answered. "I kind of forgot that part at first, but it worked out okay."

Marceline moved from the couch to the floor, holding Hambo, wanting to hear the whole story.

"Alright, so, I was thinking about you, and then I thought about Hambo, from that time I went into your memory."

She nodded.

"So, I thought, 'man, Marcy loved that toy. I wanna get it for her,' but I had no clue how. So anyways, a while back I got something called the Glasses of Nerdicon from Choose Goose. They make you crazy smart when you wear them, so I figured regular-me wasn't smart enough, but smart-me would be. PB took them from me last time, so I asked to borrow them, you know, just long enough to figure out how to get Hambo."

He produced his list and handed it to Marceline.

"'Step 1. Run away from Princess Bubblegum with the Glasses'," she read outloud, "Oh, she must have been thrilled."

"Hehe, yeah, well, they don't just make your regular smart. They make you crazy smart."

"'Step 2. Return to labyrinth, solve labyrinth using perfect memory from crazy-smartness'," she continued, "Huh. Are we thinking of the same labyrinth? I saw one while flying over Ooo once and there was like, an invisible wall. It seemed dumb so I just went around."

"Probably. I mean, supposedly, you die if you cheat, but I guess it just stops you from cheating. Or maybe your vampire awesomeness protected you. Cause you're not alive."

"Maybe. 'Step 3a. Get to center of maze. Get wish. Wish for Hambo.' Oh man, they give out wishes there?"

"Yuhuh."

"Man. Still, I probably wouldn't have thought to wish for Hambo. I probably would have wished for, I dunno. Something stupid probably. 'Step 3b. If there is a one-wish-per-person limit, and not a one-wish-per-solution, put mud eel in headlock and make him wish for Hambo.' Mud Eel?"

"He's like the guardian of the labyrinth. He doesn't actually give the wishes, just guards them. He's kind of a jerk."

"Man, still, that's pretty ruthless of you. Smart-you," she corrected.

"He's crazy," Finn shrugged.

"'Step 4: Trade Glasses of Nerdicon to Choose Goose for delicious wrapping paper. Step 5: Show list to Princess Bubblegum. Apologize to Princess Bubblegum.' Heh."

"Yeah, she was mad, but after I showed her the list, she wasn't as mad."

"Smart-you was watching your back. Sounds like a cool guy," she smiled.

"Yeah, he's a righteous dude."

"'Step 6: Give gift to Marceline. I love you Marceline.'"

They both blushed.

"Smart-you is scary."

"Oh man, did that creep you out?"

"No, I mean, anyone who can use the l-word like that... you know, leave themselves super-vulnerable? Its scary."

"Oh. Yeah."

They looked at each other.

"Do you feel the same way?" she asked cautiously, "As smart-you?"

Finn fidgeted, then scooched over to her side.

"...Yeah," he admitted.

"...wow. We're in deep," she gave him a sidelong embrace.

"Is that good?" he asked.

"Its scary," she answered.

"...Sloppy makeout time?" Finn asked.

She shook her head. "No. Can I just-" she floated into his lap, one arm around him, one around Hambo, and laid her head on his shoulder, "close my eyes for a bit?"

"Yeah, sure," Finn cradled her as best he could.

She nipped his neck affectionately. "You're the best Finn."

"You're the best," he echoed.

"Heh. We're so lame." 


	12. SERIOUS

CH 12: SERIOUS

"Hey Jake?"

"Yeah Finn?"

"I need some more lady advice."

"Sure brother, what's on your mind."

"Remember Hambo?"

"Hmm. Nope!"

"You know, Hambo, Marceline's stuffed toy. We saw it in her memory."

"Oh, that creepy thing? It had a name?"

"Yeah! Hambo!" Finn rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Right, right. So what about it?"

"Well, I got Hambo back for Marceline, and well, she was so happy that she cried."

"Good on ya. So, what's the problem?"

"Well, after that, stuff got really quiet. And, I dunno. I think its getting serious."

"Woo, go Finn! So you've upgraded your relationship."

"I guess?"

"Done it yet?"

"NO."

"Just checking."

"Its just, I dunno. I like our relationship just fine how it is. This serious stuff is kind of weird."

"Man, if its weird its only because you're making it weird. You're the same Finn and she's the same Marceline, you just shared a moment is all."

Finn shrugged.

"Well, how do you feel about it?"

"I dunno. Weird?"

"Weird why?"

"Cause I dunno what's gonna happen next."

"That's 'scared' Finn."

"Mmr... Yeah, I guess."

"That's perfectly natural."

"Do you get scared with Lady Rainicorn?"

"Huh? Nah. I'm awesome."

"Pft."

"You know I totally am."

"That doesn't help me."

"Just tell her you're scared. Ladies love it when you talk about your feelings."

"...I guess."

"You touch her boobs yet?"

"Wha-? No!"

"Really?"

"No! Well. Kind of. Like, when we're cuddling and stuff."

"Nah, that doesn't count. I mean hands!" he grew his for emphasis, "Right on the boobs!" He grew boobs. And began groping himself in demonstration.

"Ew! Man, that's like all kinds of wrong!"

"Wha? Don't tell me you never thought about it."

"No, I mean, you! Grabbing... bluh!"

"Oh, right." He examined his oversized hands and mock-breasts. "Don't be afraid Finn. I got curves, and I'm comfortable with my body." He stretched and shifted until he stood taller than Finn, with an hour glass figure and fantastic legs.

"Dude, knock it off, I'm gonna loose my lunch!"

"Hehe," he shifted back and sat back down.

"Look man. Talk about your feelings and touch her boobs. If you're lucky, you can even do both at once!" 


	13. BOOBS

CH 13: BOOBS

"Hey Marceline?"

"Yeah Finn?"

Finn screwed up his courage. "Can I touch your boobs?"

"...Man, I'm surprised it took you this long to ask."

"Well, its kind of pervy," Finn defended himself.

"Come on. Everybody's kind of pervy. Especially boys your age."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. You're a big ol' bag of hormones. That's normal. In fact, I'm amazed at how much restraint you've had until now. Well... okay, maybe not so much."

"Why not?"

"Because you're a gentleman Finn. A gentleman and a total sap."

Finn pouted.

"Aw, come on, its not a bad thing. Its one of the things that make you so sweet," she pecked him on the lips.

"I guess."

"Heh," She gave him a playful shove.

He gave her a playful shove back, and cracked a smile.

"MWAH!" She tackled him to the ground and gave him a sloppy kiss on the lips, "Air superiority."

"Oh yeah?" he wrapped his legs around her waist and locked his ankles together. "Well I got TICKLE SUPERIORITY!"

"Wha-NO!"

His noodly arms got past her defenses and his fingers danced along her ribs.

"WAHAHAHAHA!" she laughed uncontrollably, squirming all the while. She lifted Finn several inches off the ground with her flailing. "OH GROB! OH GOB! OH GLOB! OH GROD!" she drew her arms in trying to protect her sides, but to no avail.

"YOU WIN! YOU WIN!" she broke under the onslaught.

"VICTORY!" Finn raised his arms in exhaultation, now hanging upside down from Marceline's waist.

"Oh man," Marecline attempted to catch her breath.

"Hup!" Finn wrapped his arms around her torso, then released her waist, planting his feet on the ground.

"You got me Finn," she conceded.

"MWAH!" Finn drew her in for a kiss of his own.

"Mmph! ...Mm," she responded by wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"NOW I got you," he announced after parting.

"Yeah, you did," she rejoined him on the ground, retaining the embrace. "Hey Finn, do you wanna stay over tonight?"

He turned red.

"You mean, like... sexy time?"

She giggled.

"No, not yet," she answered.

Finn sighed in relief.

"Its too soon for that stuff. I just mean we can jam till we're all jammed out and instead of having to head home you could just sleep over."

"Like, with you?"

"Yes Finn. With me. In my bed. Together. But only if you're cool with it. Boundries, right?"

"Right," he nodded, "But, uh, yeah, I think I'd like that. I didn't bring my longjohns though."

"You wear underwear right? Or do you go Commando?" she smiled wickedly.

"I do," he resisted her jibe.

"Aw, too bad. I was gonna make you choose between sleeping in the buff or borrowing some of mine."

Finn sputtered. "Man, you really like messing with me," his voice cracked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," she laughed, "I'm sorry, its just that you're super-cute to begin with, and when you make those embarrased faces, you're extra adorable."

He blushed at her compliment.

"So. Still want to touch my boobs?"

"...Totally." 


	14. SLUMBER PARTY

CH 14: SLUMBER PARTY

"Hey Jake?" Finn talked into Marceline's phone.

"Hey Finn? What's up? How's it go with Marceline?"

"It's going good."

"Marcy getting grabby?" Jake teased.

"Yep."

"Wait, for real?"

"Yeah."

"You touch her boobs?"

"And her butt," Finn replied.

"Huh. Didn't expect you to actually do it."

"Yeah, well, joke's on you. I am now... A MAN."

"Bwahaha. Well, you're closer than you were yesterday. But you ain't a man yet."

"Yes I am!"

"You done it yet?"

"No!"

"Hehe. See? You're still freaked out by it. Still, gotta give you props. So talking about your feelings worked out?"

"Well?"

"Actually, we didn't talk about that. We just talked about boobs."

Jake shrugged. "Well, what works works I guess."

"There's another thing."

"Sup?"

"Marceline wants me to sleep over tonight."

"Ohoho! So maybe you ARE going to be a man."

"No, its not like that!"

"Oh?"

Finn recomposed himself, "There's not going to be any sexy time."

"Huh. That's weird. Usually when a lady wants you to stay the night, she means something by it."

"I need some stuff from home."

"Sure man, what do you need?"

"Maybe some movies? My jimjams."

"Nah Finn, don't do that."

"Huh?"

"Your jimjams are lame."

"My jimjams are AWESOME!"

"They're lame."

"...Aw..."

"Tanktop and underwear!"

"Wha?"

"That's what you should wear to bed."

"Dude, why do you care so much? Its kinda weird."

"I'm just trying to look out for you bro."

"Man, now you've got me all worried again."

"Sorry bro. Look, you seem to be handling things pretty well with Marceline. You just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be okay."

"Thanks man." 


	15. IN BED

CH 15: IN BED

"Hey Finn? You ready for bed?" Marceline yawned as she came out of the bathroom, blowdrying her hair. She was dressed in a tanktop and drawstring pajama pants.

"Yeah Marcy. Almost." Finn dropped his backpack on the floor, and slipped off his shoes, then his socks. Then he pulled his shirt up over his head, his hat getting caught up in the process. He turned the shirt inside out to retrieve the hat.

"Could you leave the hat off?" Marceline asked, "I love your hair."

Finn looked at his hat "Oh, uh, sure." Rather than cast it on the floor, he put it on Marceline's end table, smoothing it out so that it wasn't rumpled.

"You really love that hat," she noted, having finished drying her hair.

"I do," Finn agreed.

"What's the story behind it"

"Heh, I don't even know. My mom and dad, my adoptive mom and dad, found me when I was a baby, and I already had this hat. I've always had it."

"Man you must have had a huge dome."

"Nah, when I got bigger, she made it a bigger. I never knew my real mom and dad but I like to think they gave me this hat. And well, growing up and having it always fixed up by other mom means that its kind of from my other parents too."

Marceline sat quitely on the edge of her bed as she listened.

"That's pretty much the story," he concluded.

Marceline smiled softly.

"Its a good story. Come 'ere," she reached out to him with one hand. He took it and was gently yanked besided her.

"Huh. I would have thought your bed would suck as much as your couch," Finn observed.

"Well, most of the time I sleep while floating. But sometimes, when it's cold, I actually sleep on the bed and get underneath the sheets."

"You going to float tonight?" he asked.

"Nope. How am I supposed to steal your heat signature?"

"Hehe. Movie reference."

"Come on, get in," she said, lifting up the sheets.

"Man, this is so weird. I mean, good-weird," he said as he clambered in.

"Yeah, I think so too. I get to be the big spoon."

"Huh?"

"Oh, hold on, I'll show you," she flicked off the lights then gently landed on the bed, bringing down the covers over both of them.

"Alright, now turn around."

"Uh. Okay," he complied.

"Alright, fair warning, I'm a bit chilly." She slid in right behind him, so that she was pressed into his back, and wrapped her arms around him. He shivered slightly as goosebumps rose up his arms.

"See? I'm the big spoon, and you're the little spoon," she put a cold hand on his stomach and pulled him in slightly to curl up.

More goosebumps. He bought his hands on top of Marceline's and started rubbing, just to warm them up.

"Yeah, I think I get it."

"Mm," Marceline drew Finn even closer.

He slowly drew in a large breath and then let it out in a contented sigh.

"Happy?" she asked him.

"Mhm."

"Yeah. Me too."

"Cool."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Hmm. Nope. Don't got any."

"Really? None?"

"Nah. Not in the mood for deep thoughts. I'm happy just chillin'. You?"

"Eh. The usual stuff. Thinkin' about us."

"What about us?"

"Just kinda surprised that we're here. You know, together."

"Hehe. Yeah. Its pretty wild."

"Yeah. It is. What blows my brain is that you're easily the best boyfriend I ever had."

"You had boyfriends other than Ash?" he asked.

"Yeah. Surprised?"

"Nah. You're a thousand years old and totally awesome. I'd be surprised if you didn't."

"Hehe," she nibbled his ear, "Yeah. I had other boyfriends. Some girlriends too even."

"Hehe. You think that's sexy don't you?"

"...yeah."

"Well, anyway. They weren't all bad. Not even close. Its just that you're the best."

"Thanks."

"And obviously I'm the best girlfriend you've ever had," she giggled.

"None of them could compete with you, my lady," he responded.

"Heh. Smooth."

"I try."

"Mm" she tightened her embrace on Finn. He squirmed a little.

"You know, I've been wondering something Finn."

"Sup?"

"You didn't grow up with human parents, right?"

"Right. Jake's parents found me and took me in when I was a baby."

"Well, I ask because since I've known you, you get kind of twitchy when someone touches you."

Finn blushed, "I'm getting better at it!"

"You are," she stroked his chest, "But I was wondering if you were so shy because you didn't have huma-" she coughed, "physical contact growing up."

"Aw, I did. My family was all dogs, and dogs are mad affectionate."

"Yeah, I guess so. But its different, isn't it?"

"Maybe. I mean, I like this. A lot."

"Yeah. Me too. Nothing staves off loneliness like sappy romance."

"Heh."

Finn squirmed some more.

"Hey Marceline?"

"Sup?"

"Can I turn around?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, this is nice, but I can't really reach anything but your arms."

"Yeah, go for it," Marceline untangled her limbs and allowed Finn to shift. Finn greeted her with a kiss.

"Mm," she smiled.

"You're so pretty."

"Aw," she stroked his hair, "That's sweet of you. I kind of like to go for the half-tomboy half-punk thing most of the time, but its nice to feel pretty too."

Finn shook his head, "I like that kind of stuff."

"Thanks. I think you're cute. And you're going to be super-handsome when you grow up."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Definately. You already have your moments."

"Really?"

"Yeah, sure," she kissed him again, "Right now, when you're all wide-eyed and innocent and stuff? You're adorable. But, like, when you're all serious doing your hero thing? Super-handsome."

She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes.

"Well, I'm out of stuff to talk about. How about you?" she asked.

"I dunno. I guess."

"You sleepy yet?"

"Hm. Not really."

"Heh. What do you want to do?"

She felt a not-unexpected kiss on her lips. She smiled, her eyes still closed.

"So, sloppy makeouts?" she asked.

"Yeah. Then I want to be the big spoon."

"Mm. Maybe. You'll have to earn it." 


	16. WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS?

CH 16: WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS?

"'morning Marceline," Finn yawned.

"G'morning Finn." She returned the yawn.

"You sleep good?"

She pulled his arms around her more snuggly. He was the big spoon.

"'mnotready to get up," she answered groggily.

Finn rocked a little with her in his arms.

"You're all warm," he noted.

"Mm," she smiled.

"Hey Marcy?"

"Yeah Finn?"

"I've been thinking about something..."

"Sup?"

"Can I ask a question?"

"As long as you keep me warm," she remained adamant in staying in bed, eyes closed.

"Where are we going with this?" he asked.

"With what Finn?"

"You know. Us."

She merely shrugged in his arms.

"I mean like. You know. You're immortal. I'm not."

"I don't want to think about that Finn," she muttered.

"But, I mean, don't you worry about it?" he asked.

"I said I don't want to think about it," she raised her voice.

"Sorry."

She sighed.

"Now I can't sleep," she grumbled.

"Sorry," he appologized again.

"No. Its okay," she turned in his arms and draped hers over his shoulders, "Is it really bothering you?"

"Kinda. Like, I thought I knew what it meant, but, the more I think about it, the less sure I am.

"I can tell you the answer, but you're not going to like it."

He considered it.

"I think I want to know."

She kissed his cheek. "It's going to end Finn. You're going to get old, and then you're going to die. And when you do, there's going to be nothing left of you for me but memories. No kids. No nothing."

"Bummer."

She snorted in amusement, "Understatement. But that assumes we stay together till you die," she continued, "We could break up long before then. Maybe we get sick of each other. Or maybe we just get bored. Maybe we fight and break up. Maybe you find someone you love more. Maybe I do. Maybe you get together with that human woman and go on to repopulate Ooo with humans. If anything, any of those is more likely than us lasting till you die."

Finn contemplated this.

"I could make you into a vampire. For real. I wouldn't have to watch you die. But if we're both immortal, we'll definately split up at some point. It's just inevitable. When you're immortal nothing lasts forever. Except you."

Finn sniffled. Marceline finally opened her eyes.

"Are you crying Finn?"

"No," he denied, "...maybe."

She held him more tightly, so did he in response.

"If you were immortal the best we could hope for is that we part on good terms, and maybe even be off and on for eternity. But that's it. As a mortal, the best case is that we love each other very much until you're gone."

"Has this happened to you before?" he asked.

"Yeah Finn. It has."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"Hey, come on now," she patted his back, "Don't cry. Look at me."

She met his gaze, holding back tears herself.

"Look. Its sad. It really is. It's going to break my heart one day. I'm going to cry, and yell, and kick and scream, and grieve like crazy. Cause that's what you have to do before you can move on."

Finn diverted his gaze.

"Look at me," she forced him back, "But I'm okay with it. I like you Finn. I like you a lot. I like being with you."

"I do too..."

"That's plenty then. Don't waste your time worrying about the future Finn."

"That's hard."

Marceline kissed him on the lips. "It seems like it, but its not really. You just got to let yourself get distracted by the here and now."

"How?"

"You hungry?"

"Kinda."

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"I dunno."

"I'm thinking strawberry pancakes. How does that sound?"

Finn sniffed and wiped his eyes. "Yeah. That sounds good."

"Yeah. It does sound good. Mind helping me cook?"

"Okay."

She released him from her embrace and with one final yawn stretched, popping a few joints in the process.

"So, I've been thinking about a new idea for a song..." 


	17. NOTHING CHANGED

CH 17: NOTHING CHANGED

"Hey Finn. Going to Marcy's tonight?" Jake asked.

"Yep."

"Everything going okay man?"

"Yeah, everything's awesome. We're just finished her album. We're thinking about doing another one."

"Aw again? We don't hang out anymore!"

"Jealous?" Finn teased.

"Maybe!"

"Hehe. Don't worry dude. We're gonna need you and Beemo and Peebles for the next one."

"Oh. Okay! That's awesome. I've been working on some new stuff on my viola."

"Righteous."

"We're not gonna be be cutting into your Lady Time with Marceline are we?"

"Wha? Man, I'm thirteen. I've got all sorts of time!"

"Huh. Maybe you're better at Lady Time than I thought."

"Man, I'm AWESOME at Lady Time."

J 


	18. Author's Notes

So, this is the first story I've posted on . It almost didn't make it on here since its been a very long time, and I don't have much confidence in my writing. Thanks to TheStinkyFoot and HVK for their encouragement. Its because of them that I decided to put this out there. Also because TheStinkyFoot badgered me for weeks.

I followed some arbitrary guidelines while writing this. I tried to keep it compact as possible. Each chapter only features two characters (one of which is always Finn). 'Action' happens off screen, because this is about dating, not adventure.

I welcome feedback, both positive and negative. I'm well braced for the worst that may get thrown my way, and positive comments are a nice ego boost (though of course, I'd prefer they be TRUE positive comments).

I don't know if and when I'll write again, I'm only really capable of output if I get inspired (I wrote the first draft of this fic in one day), but if I come up with anything else, it'll go here.

There is a bonus chapter (dirty), that I am pondering whether to put up or not.

I don't even know why I mentioned that.


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